Finding Her Way
by make it stop jamie
Summary: Being true to yourself isn't always easy. *ch.5 up* PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!!
1. The Kiss

Disclaimer: Don't own them! Disney doesn't deserve them!

Author's Notes: This story starts from the end of the last episode (Jamie was just so cool in that one). It should go pretty well because I wrote just a few seconds after watching it. Just a warning this story will get on the tense side and will deal with mature topics, so I might change the rating to R. Happy reading! 

Finding Her Way

Chapter 1

"That was so incredibly sweet," Val told Tyler as she leaned into Tyler and held him, knowing that he would be her salvation. Her way out of doubt.

She let go of him with regret and they just stood there locked in each other's longing stares. Then finally he made the move she had been waiting for, he kissed her. Much to her utter shock when she closed her eyes, instead of seeing his face (like she imagined in her dreams), she saw another face that confirmed her doubts. It was the face that made her continue kiss him back, even know it wasn't the person she was kissing.

Finally both of them broke away and just stood there looking at each other. She gave Tyler a little smile when she saw how happy he looked, but she also knew that loving her would only lead him to heartbreak. For she could never love him, like he wanted her to. She knew that now.

A/N: What did you think? I'll give you one clue the face was not of one of the other characters. Don't forget to review! 


	2. A Phone Call

Author's Notes: Thank you for all your reviews! I really appreciate it! I hope you like this one, I think it's going to be different than what you thought it would be. Enjoy and don't forget to review! 

Finding Her Way 

Chapter 2

Val paced through her empty house (her parents were out and Brooke was at a sleepover), trying to get the guts to do something she didn't want to do, but knew she had to. It wasn't right to lead him on like she did, but she didn't want to tell him. Maybe she didn't have to tell him what she was, maybe she could just tell him that she wasn't interested. Which was the truth, not just the whole truth.

With renewed determination Val headed toward her family's cordless phone that sat on its cradle on the white tiled kitchen counter. She picked it up, summoned up all her courage, and dialed Tyler Connell's phone number. As his line rang and she waited for him to pick up, she walked over to the couch and flopped down.

"Hello?" A voice that Val suspected was Tyler's since he had his own line, greeted.

"Hi, it's Val," She replied.

"I was just about to call you," Tyler started and felt her courage start to drain, "I was wondering if you wanted to go out tonight,"

"Tyler, I don't think it's going to work out between us," Val said, idly twisting a stray strand of hair and preparing herself for what was bound to come next.

"Why not?" Tyler asked and Val let the piece of hair go. She really did not want to answer that question, but she knew she had to. Instead of giving him the partial truth, she decided to give him the whole truth, full throttle.

"I'm a lesbian," She said, bracing herself for his reaction.

"What?" He asked shocked.

"I'm lesbian," Val said repeating it. She really didn't know what else to tell him.

"You're not! You can't be one of them!" He said angrily with an emphasis on the "them". 

"I am," Val said with a quiet firmness she didn't even know she had at that moment. She was answered by the sound of a phone being slammed down on the other end.

A/N: What do you think? I hope you still like it. Don't forget to review!


	3. A True Friend Is Hard To Find

Author's Notes: Yes, this is Spiltchick I just changed my screen name again I think this one fits me better right now. Anyways, PLEASE REVIEW and I hope you like the story.

Finding Her Way

Chapter 3

Caitie walked up to the entry way of her best friend's house and let herself in. Caitie and Val had known each other for so long that if the house was unlocked they simply walked in, no questions asked. "Val?" Caitie asked, from the entry way of the small, but surprisingly comfy house.

"I'm on the couch," Val answered in a far away and somewhat dejected voice. 

Caitie quickly made her away from the entry way to the couch. She sat on the opposite side of the couch from Val and was about to complain to Val about the "super squad" was destroying her life when she saw Val. "Are you okay?" She asked, concerned about her best friend. It usually took allot to get Val that down, so she knew that something must be up.

"No, I'm not," Val said and then took a deep breath and asked in a weak voice, "Can I tell you something?" 

"Of course you can," Caitie gingerly.

"You promise you won't get mad?" Val asked sounding like a little kid who was afraid to tell their parent something.

"I won't get mad," Caitie replied.

"You remember homecoming?" Val asked. Caitie nodded, how could she forget, "Remember how I turned down Dean because I wanted Tyler to ask me out?"

"Yeah. And then the jerk ended up going out with that tramp, Heather Stillmore," Caitie answered and she was surprised when Val didn't come out and defend Tyler.

"Well, that wasn't the only reason I turned down Dean," Val told Caitie, while she pulled on her fingers. A habit Caitie knew she did whenever she was nervous.

"What was the other reason?" Caitie asked, having no idea where this conversion was going, but she knew that Val was trying to tell her something important.

"I just felt no feelings what so ever for him," Val took a slight pause and then continued, "I thought that the reason that I had no feelings for him was just because I was waiting for the perfect guy and I thought that guy was Tyler," Val paused again and Caitie could tell by the sound of her voice and the look in her eyes that she was close to tears, "But then today we kissed and-" Val suddenly cut off as if she didn't want to say what happened next.

"And?" Caitie gently prodded, wanting to know what Val had to say and knowing that her friend needed to get out what came next.

"When I closed my eyes when we were kissing, I didn't picture him," Val paused and took a deep breathe and now Caitie could tell that Val's tears were now flowing freely, "I pictured Amy Brown. In my mind I wasn't kissing Tyler, I was kissingAmy," Caitie was taken a bit aback by that not that she had any problems with homosexuality, she didn't. It was just a bit unexpected.

"I'm a freak," Val said through her sobs and Caitie moved over to Val's side of the couch to comfort her friend in need.

"Val, you are not a freak," Caitie looking Val in the eye and holding both of her friends hands in hers, "You're actually the lucky one. You don't have to put up with any jerks, like I do. Girls are probably nicer to date than guys,"

Val had to smile at that and so did Caitie, "Friends still?" Val asked through her now receding tears.

"It'll take allot more to get rid of this friend," Caitie said.

"Like an essay contest?" Val teased and they both started laughing.

A/N: I know the end is incredably bad, but this chapter was really hard to write (I had to watch two espisodes of IAHB to help get me in character). The next chapter is a Nine Days (aren't they the best) songfic and Tyler gets mad. He really needs to work on his temper. I ask only thing of you and that is to review. You can even tell me how much you hate this story I really don't care (of course I do hope you like it). Happy reviewing (hint, hint)! 


	4. Getting Back

A/N: Here it is and Tyler gets ugly (not really of course, but hey that is an  
idea). Christopher Ralph gave me his address, it was a dream, but it was  
still cool. Too bad i don't remeber what it was.  
Mindy  
  
Finding Her Way  
Chapter 4  
  
Tyler Connell paced angrily across his room, with each turn his anger grew  
and on his tenth way around it was boiling to the point that he thought he  
would explode. How could she that do that to him? How could she just turn  
on him like that? Lead him on like that? Who did she think she was?   
  
He had no idea why he was letting her to get him that much, after all she  
was just a girl. Still, he thought as he made his away across his room  
again, he had really liked her, really liked to the point where he had even  
thought about marrying her, but then she had to go and ruin it. What made  
it even worse was that he thought that she liked him and she had even said  
that he was "incredibly sweet". How dare she do that to him? Who did she  
think she was anyways?  
  
Tyler didn't know why he was letting a girl get to him like that. He  
never had before and he hoped he never would. He should just forget about  
her and move on, he thought as he flopped on to his bed.  
  
He couldn't believe that he had (actually still did, he just wouldn't  
admit it) liked someone of her persuasion. He couldn't comprend that _his_ girl could be a dyke. It made him sick just thinking about it.   
  
Tyler wanted to make Val pay. He wanted to make her hurt as much as he  
did. He looked to the left side of the bed where his phone and felt a  
fresh of anger as he remembered the conversation he had with Val and before  
he knew it he had picked up the phone and was dialing Val's number.   
  
In my heartsent my confession my condolence  
You're indefinite  
You're incompetent inconsiderate  
You're so childish  
I will push you out what is real  
Out of my head  
  
"Hello?' Val said answering the phone and Tyler thought she actually  
thought she sounded happy. How dare her be happy, he thought angrily.  
  
"It's Tyler," Tyler answering her, as he tried to suppress his bellowing  
hatred for her.  
  
"Oh, hi Tyler," Val said and Tyler noted, with great satisfaction, that  
the happiness was gone from her voice.  
  
"I have a question for you," Tyler said letting a minute amount of hatred  
seep into his voice, as a plan formed in his head.  
  
"Ok. Go ahead," Val said in an uncertain voice and Tyler smiled.  
  
"Do you know what you've done?" He asked adding even more hatred to his  
voice.  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked.  
  
"You've ruined your life," Tyler said simply and his greatest wish at that  
moment was for Val to be able to see the evil smile on his face.  
  
"Tyler-" Val started, but Tyler interrupted her before she had a chance to  
continue.  
  
"You listen to me, Val. I've had enough of you I really have. So just  
shut up," Tyler said, unleashing all of his anger on Val, "You know what,  
Val? Once the school finds out, and they will, there are some people who  
make it they're business to find every deep dark secret about a person, and  
they will. You know they will and they'll spread it around school. After  
they do that your life will be hell. Pure hell," With said and off his  
chest. He hung up before she even had a chance to respond and it felt good.  
  
You can stick and drown at your residence of disappointments  
Are of yours to come   
So embrace them oh my shallow one today 


	5. Revenge

Author's Notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Sorry this one took so long to get out, but I was gone for a week and I got stuck a few times. Enjoy!

Finding Her Way 

Chapter 5

"Where is he?" Val asked Caitie as they both stood outside their local parish, St. Anne's, in the fading sunlight of the early spring day. 

"He'll be here," Caitie reassured her best friend at the same time defending her other best friend who was at least 20 minutes late, "He probably just had to help with the equipment,"

"Yeah, you're right," Val agreed, and shivered not just because of the building cold. She fingered the crystal cross that hung on a thin gold chain around her neck which she wore only for mass. Mass. It had been incredibly different today. She hadn't felt at ease like she normally did, she had felt out of place like she didn't belong and she guessed she didn't anymore. She knew the church's position on homosexuality, same as most other religions. She understood why, it was condemned in the Bible. Val shook off those thoughts to try to stop thinking about her supposed sinful ways, "What did he want to talk to me about?" 

"He didn't really say. I think it's important, through. He called me at an ungodly hour this morning," Caitie said as she rolled her eyes and Val had to hold in a giggle. She would never understand her friend's sleeping habits.

"So he called at ten?" Val asked a smile on her face for the first time since she got the angry phone call from Tyler last night.

"Actually it was ten-thirty, but it was still bad," Caitie said, just as the object of their conversation finally showed up wearing his trademark leather jacket and carrying an old black weathered guitar case. "It's about time you showed up," Caitie told Jamie in greeting.

"Sorry, but Greg decided it was the perfect time for us to begin working on a new song," Jamie informed them referring to the church Youth Ministry band that he was a part of, "Sorry I really didn't mean for you guys to wait,"

"No problem," Caitie said a little smugly as the trio began to walk began to walk into the church nearly vacant parking lot, "You know what? I just remembered that I have to wash my hair tonight. So I'll see you two later," Caitie said making use of her wondrous exiting talent, as she turned and made her exit, leaving Val and Jamie in an uncomfortable silence as they started walking down walking down one of Kingsport's many tree lined sidewalks.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Val asks him as the silence begins to get to her.

"Tyler," Jamie says simply and Val can feel stomach clench. He is the last person she wants to talk about at that moment.

"What about him?" Val prods knowing she doesn't want to hear the answer, but knowing that she should hear it. Since Jamie must think it's important.

"He was at this party I went to last night," Jamie pauses and Val knows now that it's bad, "And he was spreading some pretty nasty rumors about you,"

"Did they have anything to do with me being a lesbian?" Val asks directly. Hoping that she's wrong, but knowing inside that she's righ

"Yes, they did," Jamie answers in reply, "How did you know?"

"Because they're true," Val tells him as she feels a lump rising in the recesses of her throat.

"What an asshole," Jamie says his voice low, but as full as anger as Tyler's voice was on the phone last night, "What a freaking asshole," He pauses and then starts up again, "How could he be such a jerk?"

"I don't know how," Val said quietly and then polity said goodbye to Jamie. She knew he was just being nice, but she needed to be alone. As she turned down her own street, tears began to run down her cheeks in mourning for her old normal life. 

A/N: Did you like it? I hope so! Don't forget to review!


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